Koinonia Family

This was my third one and I can't believe for one second I forgot about the transforming grace that comes from it. 

Koinonia, meaning 'community' in Greek. It's amazing how a community can grow over a weekend, and how beautiful it is to see it happen. Going in to the weekend retreatant's have no idea what they're getting themselves into. They have no idea that by the end of Sunday they will have a new family, a family that accepts them as they are, that knows their joys and will share in their sorrows. This family has seen them cry, loved them, shared meals with them, made sacrifices for them, stumped them in a game called Psychology, made them laugh, and prayed with, for and over them. A family that is centered in Christ. This family does not disappear after the weekend never to be seen again; Koinonia is a way of life.

I'm filled with joy to welcome SLK 13 to the Koinonia family! How beautiful it was to see them give their time over to Christ and allow Him to work in them. How amazing it is to know that He has done the same in me just by breaking from the mountain of homework/projects and very little sleep I had the week before and allowing myself to be with our Lord.

Koinonia can change lives, and it has definitely changed mine.

Without my Koinonia family I wouldn't have my best friends, my prayer partners, my future roommates and neighbors, people to sit with at Mass, my coworkers, my camping group, my teammates and the reason I love it here at KU. Who knows where I'd be without all of them. And I mean that, ALL of them. Each one of them has been a true blessing and helped shape my life in a way that they may never know. (hmm...idea for a new blog series?)